S bulge in front tire

[li10up]

That's definitely good advice about riding across railroad tracks. It sounds to me as though you broke a cord in the tire. At any rate, it's great that the shop replaced it for you!!

I do stand when crossing RR tracks or anything rough to try to absorb the shock. Do you really think hitting the tracks hard could damage the tire? I thought they should be able to take that kind of shock.

Rim seems to be true. Tire just kind of pushed off to the side in one area.

[ridebikeme]

It's hard to determine what exactly happened.... you would think that a tire could withstand that force. However, if it did indeed break a cord/bead, there could have been a weak spot there from the manufacturing process( doesn't happen very often)or simply the force of the tire hitting the railroad tracks and hitting the rim at the same time. I quess the most important thing is that the shop supported you and you are back riding at no additional costs! It generally doesn't happen that way when you buy mail order, and I 'm sure your LBS appreciates your support!!

[spokewench]

Hard to tell what is happening with your tires. I bought Specialized Pros last year and am still riding them. Tires last forever for me as i am only 125 pounds but I have seen s bulges in tires. Usually if it is premature, i.e. not too many miles on them, I really think it is a manufacturing defect. But, if you rode them 6 months, time to anty up for new tire. In any event, if there is an s bulge by all means replace the tire - it is not worth crashing!

[DebW]

I do stand when crossing RR tracks or anything rough to try to absorb the shock. Do you really think hitting the tracks hard could damage the tire? I thought they should be able to take that kind of shock.

Rim seems to be true. Tire just kind of pushed off to the side in one area.

Guess you'll never really know the answer to that. Your tire problems could be completely unrelated to the track, or a direct result. All you can do is be more cautious in the future. Keep your tires well inflated. Slow down more for the track. Unweight your front wheel just before it hits. And when you hit something and get that "I hit too hard" feeling, try to learn from it. Good luck, and may your future flats be few and far between.